Death trap Walsall hotel owner is jailed

Manjit Takhar ran the former Bescot Hotel in Walsall, which was visited by officers from Wolverhampton Fire Safety Centre following concerns from a guest.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that the customer complained of a fire exit on the first floor being blocked by mattresses and an inspection also discovered further obstructions on a landing, faulty fire alarms and emergency lighting.

Officers found that any blaze in the basement, which contained the hotel's main electricity supply, could have easily spread.

Takhar, aged 61 and of Wolverhampton, started running the hotel in Bescot Road in 2006 and was responsible for fire safety. The hotel has since closed and become a care home.

Mr Mark Jackson, prosecuting, said: "An inspection revealed fire safety breaches, each of which presented a risk of serious injury or death in the case of fire.

"The basement contained all of the main electricity supply. It also contained combustible materials. There was no ceiling and so a fire in the basement could easily have spread to the ground floor. There was no fire detection in the basement of the hotel."

In 2009 officers gave instructions to address the breaches urgently but during a follow-up inspection, less than a week later, they found no fire risk assessment in place, fire alarms were not properly serviced or tested and smoke detectors were missing from some bedrooms.

There was also an absence of fire drills, staff training, fire alarm sounders and action notices in some bedrooms.

A test of the fire alarm revealed it could not be heard in some parts of the premises, which had more than 33 bedrooms.

The court heard the officers served a prohibition notice restricting the use of specific areas of the premises for use as sleeping accommodation or other purposes.

Takhar, aged 61, of Perton Road, Perton, admitted eight counts of breaching fire safety regulations and was jailed for 12 months. In mitigation, Mr Julian Harris said Takhar was bankrupted in 2000 and 2013 and the lease for the building was taken on by his son who is now running it as a care home.

Judge Michael Challinor said: "This hotel was a death trap. There was a reckless disregard for the safety of guests and staff."